Chemistry Curator - Chemical Biology Services in Essex

The Chemical Biology Services Team at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) is looking for a talented scientist with a flair for data curation to be responsible for the quality of chemical and associated data in the ChEBI database. ChEBI (Chemical Entities of Biological Interest) is a database that contains detailed information, including all-important chemical structure data, on small molecules in biology. It is a widely used resource, with millions of accesses every year. In addition, ChEBI underpins many of the key global biological databases upon which researchers in the biosciences are increasingly reliant such as Gene Ontology (GO), Rhea, UniProtKB, IEDB, Reactome, MetaboLights, SwissLipids, and BioModels. The ChEBI database and ontology is a fundamental component of the global bioscience infrastructure, recognised by its designation as an ELIXIR core resource and a Global Core Biodata Resource.

Your work will involve a wide and varied set of tasks and responsibilities, from the creation of database entries through liaising with technical colleagues to working with collaborators, giving training and dealing with user queries.

Duties & responsibilities

• You will be responsible for the curation of chemical data in the ChEBI database.
• Reporting to the Chemical Biology Services team leader, the job responsibilities will include:
• Curation of entries into ChEBI, paying particular attention to chemical structures and the ChEBI ontology, to ensure the delivery of high quality data.
• Monitoring ChEBI's monthly release process and liaising with technical/software colleagues if problems arise.
• Monitoring daily/weekly email notifications concerning ChEBI status and liaising with technical colleagues as needed to address any issues.
• Working closely with software engineer colleagues to guide the improvement of annotation tools, access to data, storage of annotation and representation of data.
• Work with the MetaboLights team to deliver the bulk submissions process.
• Contributing to grant applications.
• Active involvement in training and external user support.
• Liaising with key collaborators (e.g. Rhea, GO, IEDB) on problems of mutual interest.
• Giving presentations at conferences, workshops etc.
• Contributing to publications describing updates to the ChEBI database.

You have

• Excellent attention to details, strong communication skills and be able to interact with technical experts as well as scientists seeking solutions to their "real world" problems.
• A PhD (or equivalent experience) in chemistry or biochemistry.
• The ability to critically assess chemical structures.
• Good communication skills (both verbal and presentational).

You may also have

• Prior experience of chemical or biological data curation and knowledge of bioinformatics databases.
• Some knowledge of ontologies.
• Experience of querying relational databases using SQL.
• Knowledge of Python scripting.

Benefits and Contract Information

• Financial incentives: depending on circumstances, monthly family/marriage allowance of £291, monthly child allowance of £351 per child, non-resident allowance up to £595 per month.
• Annual salary review, pension scheme, death benefit, long-term care, accident-at-work and unemployment insurances.
• Hybrid working arrangements.
• Private medical insurance for you and your immediate family (including all prescriptions and generous dental & optical cover).
• Generous time off: 30 days annual leave per year, in addition to eight bank holidays.
• Relocation package including installation grant (as applicable).
• Campus life: Free shuttle bus to and from work, on-site library, subsidised on-site gym and cafeteria, casual dress code, extensive sports and social club activities (on campus and remotely).
• Family benefits: On-site nursery, child sick leave, generous parental leave, holiday clubs on campus and monthly family and child allowances.
• Contract duration: This position is a 3 year contract renewable up to 9 years.
• Salary: Monthly salary starting at £3,453.05 after tax (but excl. pension & insurances) + benefits (Total package will be dependent on family circumstances).
• International applicants: We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions.
• Diversity and inclusion: At EMBL-EBI, we strongly believe that inclusive and diverse teams benefit from higher levels of innovation and creative thought. We encourage applications from women, LGBTQ+ and individuals from all nationalities.
• Job location: This role is based in Hinxton, near Cambridge, UK. You will be required to relocate if you are based overseas and you will receive a generous relocation package to support you.

How to apply

To apply please submit a cover letter and a CV through our online system before the closing date. Applications will close on 06/09/2026.